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How to build a contents inventory after a total loss

After a fire, hurricane, or tornado destroys a home, the insurer usually asks for a list of everything that was inside. A typical household owns thousands of items, and almost nobody has a list. This guide gives you a method that works from memory, phones, and purchase records, and shows how to price items so the list holds up.

Why the contents list matters so much

Personal property coverage (often called Coverage C) is usually a large share of a homeowner's total policy limits. On many policies it is set at 50% to 70% of the dwelling limit. For a total loss, the contents claim can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and it is usually paid based on what you can list and support.

People tend to under-claim contents for simple reasons: they cannot remember everything, they are exhausted, and the insurer's spreadsheet looks endless. Items that never make the list are never paid.

Before you start: three things to ask your insurer

1. What format will they accept? Many states require insurers to accept a reasonable inventory format, not only their own form. A clean spreadsheet with the right columns is usually fine.
2. Do they need receipts for everything? Usually not. Receipts help for high-value items, but most items can be supported with photos, statements, or a reasonable description.
3. How does your policy pay contents? Replacement cost policies typically pay actual cash value first (the depreciated amount), then release the remaining depreciation as you replace items. Actual cash value policies pay only the depreciated amount. Ask what time limit applies to replacement.

The columns your list needs

Whatever tool you use, capture these fields for each item or group of identical items:

Step 1: Walk the house in your mind

Memory works best with structure. Sit down with a floor plan sketch, even a rough one, and go room by room. In each room, go clockwise from the door, and then go layer by layer:

• Walls: art, mirrors, shelving, clocks, TVs, curtains and rods, blinds you installed.
• Floor: furniture, rugs, lamps, plants and pots, bins.
• Surfaces: decor, electronics, chargers, books, frames.
• Inside: every drawer, cabinet, closet, and box. This is where most items hide.
• Above and below: things under beds, on top of cabinets, in the attic.

Then do the same for the garage, sheds, yard, patio, laundry area, and vehicles if personal items were inside. Do this with other household members. Each person remembers different things, especially children about their own rooms.

Step 2: Mine your digital records

Most of what you owned left a digital trace. Spend an afternoon on each of these sources:

• Phone photos and videos. Search your photo library by room or by event (birthdays, holidays). Backgrounds show furniture, decor, and shelves. Cloud backups may have photos from old phones.
• Social media. Your own posts and photos friends tagged you in, especially inside the home.
• Online order history. Amazon, Walmart, Target, Costco, Wayfair, Home Depot, Lowe's, Best Buy, Apple, and others keep order histories going back years. Many let you export them.
• Email receipts. Search your inbox for "order confirmation," "receipt," and "your purchase."
• Bank and credit card statements. Card issuers typically keep several years of statements online.
• Store loyalty and membership accounts. Warehouse clubs and pharmacies often show purchase history.
• Real estate listing photos. If you bought or listed the home in recent years, listing photos may still be online or with your agent.
• Warranty registrations and app accounts. Appliance, electronics, and smart-home accounts list devices you owned.

Step 3: Use category prompts for what memory misses

The items people forget are usually small and numerous, and together they add up to large totals. Go through prompts like these:

• Kitchen: spices and pantry staples, small appliances, knives, bakeware, storage containers, cleaning supplies, trash cans, dish towels.
• Bathrooms: towels, toiletries, cosmetics, hair tools, medications, shower curtains, scales.
• Closets: count clothing by type per person (jeans, shirts, coats, shoes, belts), seasonal clothing in storage, luggage.
• Linens: sheets, pillows, duvets, blankets for every bed.
• Garage and tools: hand tools, power tools and batteries, ladders, lawn equipment, bikes, sports gear, holiday decorations.
• Kids and pets: toys, books, school supplies, car seats, crates, beds, food, tanks.
• Office: computers, monitors, printers, cables, paper goods, filing supplies.
• Consumables: food in the fridge and freezer, cleaning products, paper goods. These are commonly overlooked and commonly covered.

Step 4: Price items the right way

For each item, find the current price of a new item of like kind and quality. That means a comparable item, not the cheapest option and not an upgrade.

• Use mainstream retailers and note the link and date checked.
• If an exact model is discontinued, use the closest current equivalent and say so.
• Include sales tax where your policy and state allow it; many replacement cost settlements include it.
• For groups, price one and multiply. Twenty pairs of socks at a realistic per-pair price is fine.

Depreciation is the insurer's job to calculate, but check it. Items such as furniture and appliances depreciate at different rates. Some items, like certain antiques and art, may not depreciate at all.

Step 5: Handle high-value items separately

Jewelry, watches, firearms, art, collectibles, furs, silverware, and cash often have special sub-limits in a standard policy unless they were scheduled on a separate rider. For these:

• Find appraisals, receipts, or insurance schedules if any exist.
• Gather photos where the item is visible, such as jewelry in event photos.
• Check your policy's special limits section so you know what applies.

Step 6: Submit in batches and keep a log

You do not have to submit everything at once. Many people submit room by room. Before each submission:

1. Save a dated copy of exactly what you sent.
2. Send it in writing (email or the insurer's portal), not by phone.
3. Track what has been paid, at what amount, and what depreciation is being held.
4. When you replace items, keep receipts and submit them to recover depreciation within the time your policy allows.

A good rule: if you can describe it, estimate its age, and find a current price, it belongs on the list. Let the insurer decide what is covered rather than leaving items off yourself.

How long does this take?

Done alone with a spreadsheet, a full-house inventory commonly takes dozens of hours spread over weeks. Working room by room with a template, digital records, and help from family shortens that considerably. Many households find it easier to set a target, such as two rooms per evening, than to try to finish in one push.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to replace items to get paid?

On a replacement cost policy you usually receive actual cash value first and the held-back depreciation after you replace items, within the time allowed. Some policies and states allow you to collect the full replacement value if you buy a different home or rebuild elsewhere. Ask your insurer how it applies to you.

What if I cannot remember the brand?

Describe the item as precisely as you can (size, material, features, where it was bought) and price a comparable mid-range item. A reasonable description is better than leaving the item off.

How HomeOwed helps

HomeOwed was built for this exact job. It walks you through each room with category prompts so fewer items get missed, lets you add items by photo or by typing, suggests current like-kind prices with sources, groups identical items, tracks what you have submitted and what depreciation is still held, and exports a clean inventory in a format insurers can read. You submit the list yourself. HomeOwed is claim desk software, not a public adjuster, and it never contacts your insurer for you.

Start with a free Claim Scan to see which parts of your claim file are complete and which are still missing.